Have You Reviewed Your Conversation Skills?
ByHave you heard that many people have difficulty describing their feelings? Conversation is one of the key ways to describe and release feelings. How would you evaluate your conversational skills? Here are some questions to answer: How well do you communicate verbally? How large is your vocabulary? What does your body language say? Do you like to touch, to hug? Were you hugged when you were a child? Are you open to new ideas? Do you know your natural conversation style? What are your values? When was the last time you wrote down your values as they relate to communicating with people? Where do you invest your energy? Does your energy decrease or increase when you have a conversation with someone? How come? How would you define a mutually beneficial relationship? What are your relationship skills? Do you compare yourself with others (which is a form of self-image behavior)?
Is your Self-Esteem intact? In other words, how much do you respect yourself? Are you aware of how you feel about yourself? Can you describe these feelings? What are your attitudes about life and conversations? How much time do you invest in conversation with people daily? How often do you initiate conversations? Do you take advantage of every opportunity to carry on a conversation with people?
To increase your conversational knowledge it is important to first learn about yourself. Keep a journal to write your feelings about your needs, wants, and values. Second, read books about communication skills. Third, listen to educational audiocassette tapes on communication, conversations, and relationships. Fourth, observe others, especially those who are excellent conversationalists. Become aware of the skills you want to learn and the progress you are making.
Now is the time to practice your conversational skills. Begin by initiating conversations. Take small steps. In the beginning, talk with people for a maximum of five minutes. Discover three new
pieces of information about them that you never knew. Then create conversations that last ten, fifteen, and twenty minutes.
Upgrade your conversation skills and then, watch what happens!
